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maxandgeorgia · 04-03-2004, 08:41 PM

When I checked and found that the section for '93-'97 Classic Limited Airstreams has been newly installed, I got excited. That's where we belong! However, I found that the section has never been posted to. Well, of course! I think this grouping is brand new to the forum, new along with all the other stellar new attractions in Andy's revamp! So, thanks, Andy, moderators, or whoever has opened this section. Now, our 1995 30' Classic Limited Airstream just arrived home to our address THIS AFTERNOON! I went out tonight and bought new sheets, new down pillows, and a shiny aluminum trash container for the bathroom. I came home to find that Max "had the lights on" and, oh my goodness,--in the night with the lights shining through the shades, she is a beauty! He had the coffee set up for the morning, the Bailey's ready for a toast tonight, and we planned on camping in the driveway in celebration. Well, darn, the AS mattress is hard as rocks--too hard for these old bones. I assume we are not the first that have found this out. So. . .off we go to Sam's Club tomorrow, hoping to find one of those marvelous dense foam mattress toppers that will recushion the bed. Then, turn the lights low, pour the Bailey's, and. . . .What's her name? I think after seeing her tonight, it's "Beauty." When we find the BIG truck we need to pull her, I think it'll become the "Beast." Is anyone else claiming this? Not at all original, but seems just right, somehow. Goodnight. I'm off to Airstream dreams. And to all, don't forget to move those clocks an hour forward--just another rite of Spring! Sorry to ramble so, just too excited and had to share our happiness. --Georgia

Tarheel · 04-08-2004, 06:39 PM

I know how you two must feel. We were excited at our refurbish job that we did on our 74 (18 months of work) took it out once and fell in love with it and the lifestyle. Came home on a Friday, saw an ad in our local paper about a 34 limited for sale looked at it on Saturday and bought it, brought it home on Sunday. Its a 94 and bigger than anything we ever thought we would want to own, but now its just right. We use a foam "egg crate" for a couple of years then we went to Camping world and got a pillow top to put on top of the mattress that seems to be the right combination for us.

Rick

85MH325 · 04-08-2004, 07:28 PM

Enjoy your Classic Limited! Glad to hear it's home now.

Roger

maxandgeorgia · 04-08-2004, 09:12 PM

Great! Now we have three identified in this section. We're getting to be a crowd. Wonder if anymore are lurking and ready to identify themselves? And thanks again, Roger. You know that you are played a big role in our decision. It was pretty scary feeling to us, greenhorns about making such a purchase. Your input gave us information and the confidence to go ahead. I've found the memory foam topper, at Sam's Club, put it over an egg crate topper, and I'm trusting we won't feel like the princess and the pea after a night's campout in the drive! We are starting to look for the requisite heftier tow vehicle. We'd like to find a couple-of-years-used Chevy 2500HD 8.1L, but haven't come across one yet. We also have wondered about the Suburban 2500. We think we saw it listed at a 6L but pulling 12000 lbs. Is that right??? how could it be? Anyway, more homework to do on the tow vehicle--and a 2003 Coleman Caravan 25' SLBW to sell! Oops, shoulda said an SOB!

jaco · 04-09-2004, 08:28 AM

Congrats Max&Georgia.

I see that the 93 thru 97 year mods are grouped together.
Was there very little change during that 5 year time span?
Are the 92 and 98 mods way different?

jaco

Tarheel · 04-09-2004, 01:26 PM

up to 96 the bodies were 8' wide in 96 they became 8'-6" that's the biggest difference of which I am aware. I have read that Europeans need the 8' body to use on the road there and that is sometimes why you see them looking for older (pre 96) units.

jaco · 04-09-2004, 02:14 PM

So the 96 & 97 don't belong in that grouping? I'd say.
Different animal.

Was there ever a year when both wide and narrower were offered?
And wasn't there even a narrower (than 8') way back when?

Interesting factoids to know IMHO.

jaco

Tarheel · 04-09-2004, 05:59 PM

Only if 6" in width makes a difference. There is more space in the walkways the cabinets, countertops, layout, all appliances, stabilizer jacks and anything else you can think of are the same. I would be willing to say that there is no appreciable difference in these units until you talk about slideouts that came about in 2000.

Loren · 09-05-2004, 11:16 AM

Thanks to Georgia for inviting members to pipe up.

We brought our 1997 Limited, 34', front kitchen Airstream home from Florida a few weeks ago, just before Charlie hit (whew). I expected that I wouldn't get the time off from work for a couple of months, but suddenly a week's work got dropped and we drove down and brought it home to Indiana.

Now that it's home, I've discovered a water leak around the fresh water tank that will be fixed at the factory in a couple of weeks. I've had to repair a small leak from the bathroom faucet and intend to replace the kitchen faucet. Other than those simple items, this trailer is immaculate.

We have had two Holiday Ramblers, and still like that brand, but they just don't seem to hold together quite as well as this Airstream has for its previous owners. I expect it will be a great trailer for us for several years to come.

The model we really wanted was the 31' Classic. That's the one that doesn't have a dinette, but instead has a fold-down table in front of the couch in the front living room. I'd still prefer that model, just because it's more compact and somewhat easier to tow. The one we bought, however, was waaaaay too good a bargain to pass up, and I do like the triple axle rather than the duals that come with the 31'.

It tows reasonably well empty. It does tend to sway more than I expected, although not much more than our Holiday Rambler does. I haven't pulled it yet since we have stocked the kitchen, wardrobes, and drawers. I hope that the additional weight forward will help keep it in line. If I have to, I will invest in a Pull-Rite hitch.

I know that lots of Airstreamers like the Hensley Arrow hitch, but a friend with a Pull-Rite says it's the best thing since sliced bread. I have one of that company's Super-Glide fifth-wheel hitches, and have been very impressed with it. The biggest drawback to the Pull-Rite compared to the Arrow is that you lose the spare tire that is carried below the bed of the pickup.

I pull our trailer with a 2000 Dodge 3/4 ton diesel pickup, and am also a member of the Turbo Diesel Register website. It's a great site for information and help for the Dodge diesels, just as this site is for Airstreams. You can find it at:
www.turbodieselregister.com

This is our first Airstream ever, and I hope to learn a lot from the members here. Maybe I'll even be able to help out occasionally.

Loren

Tarheel · 09-07-2004, 07:44 AM

Lauren, We have a 94 limited pulling with a similar rig, a 92 dodge cummings, bank equiped and an exhaust brake. I have a Reese hitch on it an one sway bar. We just got back from a 6,000 mile trip through the Southwest. We climbed the Rockies and from time to time were going 75 or better. The Resse hitch keeps everything going in a straight line. Needless to say some trucks will have an effect on you but if you see the coming you will be ready for the slight pull to the side on which they are passing. Getting the weight just right on the rear wheels of the truck, finding the right air pressure for you on your truck tires and making certain that the entire rig is level will make a world of difference in how it handles. I was making minor adjustments for 2 years before I got it to where I am satisfied. One note do have someone look at your shocks, mine looked good but were gone. You don't notice it on a straight run with no one passing. I got in trouble with a 1/2 full fresh water tank. The water got sloshing and my stability went down the tubes. I have replaced the shocks and regained stability. Let me know if I can be of any help. WBCCI and its local clubs offer a lot of hands on experience plus they are good guys with which to travel. I was with 60 of them on the Southwest caravan. I agree with the TDR a good place to pick up some good information.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loren

Thanks to Georgia for inviting members to pipe up.

We brought our 1997 Limited, 34', front kitchen Airstream home from Florida a few weeks ago, just before Charlie hit (whew). I expected that I wouldn't get the time off from work for a couple of months, but suddenly a week's work got dropped and we drove down and brought it home to Indiana.

SNIP............

This is our first Airstream ever, and I hope to learn a lot from the members here. Maybe I'll even be able to help out occasionally.

Loren

Dwight · 09-07-2004, 10:13 AM

We have a '99 34' Excella 1000 that we pull with a Chevy D/A C-C dually. Somewhat over kill with the dually, but the ride is great! We also have it hooked to a Hensley.

maxandgeorgia · 09-07-2004, 02:09 PM

Welcome, Loren! Our little "crowd" is growing. Just as Tarheel says, we too pull with almost no sign of sway with the Reese system, and our travels take us to the windy West and high Rockies. Of course, you have a few feet and another axle on us, so you may find little comparison. We hope you have as much fun as we have so far. May you have years of great travel and camping with your new Airstream!

Loren · 09-09-2004, 03:02 AM

Rick,

Thanks for the suggestions regarding setting up the hitch, tire pressure, etc., for towing. I'll experiment with several different settings before I go out and spend $2500 for a Pull-Rite hitch. I have no doubt that that hitch is a wonderful way to tow, but I can't justify the expense until I've exhaused other, less expensive options.

The first thing I intend to try is to take up one more link on the equalizer chains. That will send a bit more weight to the truck's front axle and, hopefully, improve steering. Also, since we got home with the trailer I have had the truck's steering worked on. It had a worn out end on the tie rod, and they did an alignment while they had the truck. The steering settings were pretty close before, but now they are right on. I'll get to see how the Airstream tows in a few days when I take it up to the factory to get the water leak fixed.

I 'm also using a Reese hitch, but so far I haven't attached the stabilizer bar. My stabilizer isn't a Reese unit. I can't complain, though, I got it for nothing with the Holiday Rambler. I never needed it on that trailer, and I expect that I won't need it on the Airstream either, once I get everything set up correctly.

I never thought of the water in the tanks causing stability problems, but of course it could. We studied the effect of a "free surface" in a water tank in NROTC. If a tank is empty, it's stable. If it's full, it's stable. But if it's only partially full, with a free surface, it will cause major stability problems on a ship. This would also be true for a trailer. In spite of knowing that, there isn't too much we can do about it though, other than dumping tanks when we can and keeping the fresh water tank full.

Thanks again for the pointers. I've been towing for quite a while too, but I hope I never claim to know it all. (That's true only for my political opinions.)

Loren.

tnsue · 09-09-2004, 05:49 AM

Gosh, I was just looking around and find this thread by accident. I do not know how I missed it back in April but here it is.

I purchased a 1995, 28' Classic this past December. Got my tow vehicle, 2004, 3/4 ton Suburban in February. Towed the first time in March to a rally planned off this site to just north of Atlanta. Had a terrific time. Been towing ever since.

Had problems with the hitch I had, sway bar popped off in Roanoke, VA and had an Equ-i-lizer hitch installed there. Pulled home then to Crossville, TN. Have not had enough experience with this hitch to see how it does but hope it takes care of my sway problem.

I too realized the amount of water I had in my holding tank made a difference. Still have a lot to learn, but having fun doing it.
East TN WBCCI rally here this week end and will find out more about living with and towing this dream of mine.

I named her Mariposa, butterfly in Spanish, since she flits around with me from place to place.

TNSue